Denizen Wrote: .
Gillbob316 Wrote:
I really think in MKX, that story mode is going to be presented more like it was in MKD and MKA than it was in MK9, and by that I mean...
Yes, it will still play like MK9. With standard Kombat inter-spliced with cutscenes... and various chapters... BUT...
I think as far as the overall story of the game, and the timeline is concerned, it will play out more like MKD and MKA, in that story mode will cover all the events leading up to the final story presented in Arcade Mode...
In MKD, Konquest mode (which for all intents and purposes was the story mode of the time)... covered events over a span of decades, laying out Shujinko's story, the tale of Onaga's resurrection, as well as some extra details regarding all the other Deception characters as you met them and interacted with them. It was only AFTER the conclusion of Konquest mode that the story as presented in Arcade mode began, and that's where character's bios and present motivations for bumping off Onaga came into play. And that's where their endings took place.
In MKA, much the same: It covered Taven's story, and the events leading up to the "Arcade" story, which was the big battle at the pyramid. And then after Konquest laid the stepping stones, the "Arcade" story all took place within the context of the big pyramid brawl, and who made it to the top to bump off Blaze.
I'm thinking MKX... will give us lots of plot, and lots of details, laid out over 25 years. Time to see these characters grow, get to know their history and motivations... and it will all lead up to some final plot note, setting up a big boss, which will play out as the arcade mode story.
One of MK9's biggest flaws in story, actually, was that it wasn't at all clearly defined where Story mode ended and Arcade Mode's story began. You kill Kahn with Mileena in arcade mode, but in Story mode, Kahn is already dead and Mileena had nothing to do with it. How does that make sense? It left the vast majority of the arcade mode stories and endings in a place that felt largely irrelevant... and the arcade mode stories and endings (at least the endings that prove canon) are USUALLY the meat and potatoes of the MK plot. In MK9 the endings felt flat, because they seemed to have nothing to do with anything, for the most part...
I'm thinking... hoping actually, that they learned from that small misstep in MK9, and that MKX will have a better synergy between where story mode ends and where arcade mode begins.
I'm really hoping story mode will cover 25 years of history that set up a final conflict which plays out in Arcade mode.
And yes, I would hope that the opening chapters would touch on the Netherealm Wars, and then soon after move on to new horizons.
The chapter system is way too limiting in comparison to Konquest, the narrative and structure is very linear, so a simple sequence of events works better than trying to expand too much in other directions, given the chapters will most likely be character centred rather than events, expecting the depth and scope of what a Konquest RPG like mode could deliver is asking too much, I believe the comics were intended to help expand, complement and give background because of the inherent limitations of this story mode's format.
Your idea of actually exploiting other modes and individual endings in order to expand on the storyline sounds really good, I would love for NRS to do something like that, because there's way to much to cover so I expect massive skipping and glossing over various events to get to the 25 year mark.
Well if you strip away all the filler content and side quests from konquest it was frankly also pretty linear, and set up character to character. MKD's anyway. Assuming you didn't go get lost doing side-stuff (most of which wasn't strongly relevant to the plot) it was just moving from MKD character to MKD character, over the span of several decades, learning their moves and combos through a series of matches/tutorials... getting a little plot about them along the way, then moving to the next one.
And it did gloss over long periods of time, which as you said, I imagine MKX's story mode will too.
But side mess not withstanding, it more or less had the same basic structure MK9's story had, except in MK9 you took control of each new character, instead of Shujinko meeting each new character.
I imagine MKX unfolding sort of like a combination of MK9's story gameplay, with MKD's longterm pacing.
We jump in directly after MK9 with chapters devoted to say Cage and Sonya maybe. We get a little info on the Netherealm wars. Maybe meet a few villains. Maybe Scorpion too, and we learn how he gets his rage cleared out. Get some plot details from Quan Chi maybe, then move on a few years.
The middle years. Maybe here we get introduced to the resurrected Sub-Zero as an enemy. Who is he? We don't know! Maybe here we get Kotal Kahn's intro, and learn more about his rise to power, and how civil war erupted. Maybe a chapter for D'vorah or Erron to support that plot. We'll also probably need some explanation as to why the heck the Kamidogu are daggers now... and I'm betting Quan Chi pokes his head in again.
Long term, I think the newbies are going to shine in the late chapters. Cassie, Takeda. Once the plot begins to form I think it will start to turn toward them leading the offensive.
Honestly, since I obviously don't HAVE any more plot details than anyone else, I can't definitively say I'm super confident about any of this... it's just vague ideas I have, based on what we do know.
I honestly think Havik is going to be the big bad of this game, as I've said in a couple other threads, and he'll be revealed to have manipulated events and sewn chaos across the entire 25 year span when all is said and done. The Civil War in Outworld. The second Shirai Ryu massacre. Probably other stuff we haven't seen. As some sort of long term plan to bring complete anarchy to all the realms. Much like the Dark Knight movie Joker, he always did have a sense of order to his chaos... he'd have us believe he didn't have a plan, when all along the chaos WAS his plan...
And I'm hoping right about the time his hand is revealed in everything is where story mode ends and arcade mode begins...
BUT... at the end of the day. Just my speculation. *Shrug* We shall see... I suppose...
